I have a friend that has to stay indoors, specifically in her bed during the first day of her period every single month. The pain she experiences and the fact that she cannot move without anguish have caused a number of problem in her social and business life over the years. But my friend is not alone. In fact, according to researchers, it is estimated that between 50 and 70 percent of women endure some degree of period pain and cramping. Of those women, approximately ten percent experience contractions of such extreme levels that are one and a half times more powerful than labor pains. This is a pretty bad deal, right?

Most women, from the time they were teenagers to the time their period stops, have to encounter every single month a number of symptoms and overcome pain associated with the time their periods come. But the unfortunate thing is that for some women the pain can be so debilitating that they are forced to take time off work, just like my friend, or can only get through their periods by dosing themselves with painkillers. Everyone remembers from early childhood that pain is normally considered to be a message produced by the human body in order to signal that something is wrong and that an investigation should follow to remedy the uncomfortable situation. However, painful periods are viewed somewhat differently by the medical profession and a lot of women, who complain of period pains, are advised to take a painkiller and endure the pain until their periods are over. But this should not be the case. Every individual has a different pain threshold and thus, it is important for women that suffer during their monthly periods to investigate their specific case.

Every one of us has a different pain threshold, so it is impossible to imagine what another person might be experiencing while in pain. Only the one enduring such a situation knows whether or not period pains are unacceptably high and if the pain is affecting the quality of her life. If this is the case, then it is time to do something about it. Visiting a specialized doctor, performing a number of tests and taking some kind of medicine, can be some of the first tactics a woman suffering from dysmenorrhoea can perform. But, it is important during those medical sessions to explain and describe the symptoms, their duration and frequency. Some of the most common symptoms women have reported during their periods are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, fainting, dizziness, headaches, exhaustion and lethargy. In addition, it is important to know that pain varies from case to case and women might experience a constant low back ache like a dull ache, which is called "congestive dysmenorrhoea" and/or cramping pains like contractions, which are named "spasmodic dysmenorrhoea."

However, period pains can be unusual and there may actually be nothing medically wrong with the suffering woman. These pains are considered simply an abnormal functioning of the woman's body around the time of a period. Since this is the simpler and most common explanation, women tend to think that a painkiller will bring balance back into their lives, as long as they are able to get rid of the pain and prevent it from returning. But this is just a temporary solution. The results can last longer and the situation improved considerably, if women consult an expert and then follow a healthy lifestyle that will treat the condition and not simply mask the pain or ruin their cycle.